Ischemic optic neuropathy secondary to intracarotid infusion of BCNU.

A 39-year-old man with a left parietal malignant glioma was treated with intracarotid infusion of 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU). Five weeks after a second infusion, he developed inferior altitudinal visual field loss and pallid optic disc edema ipsilateral to the injection. Retinal vasculitis is a well-recognized complication of intra-arterial BCNU infusion. It is believed that this patient suffered a similar vasculopathy in the posterior ciliary artery circulation.